Caster.



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EEICE.

PATENT CHARLES C. ALDEN, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,129, dated December 12, 1899. Application led August 24., 1899. Serial No. 728,292. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ALDEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Med-i ford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,have`i nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed Springs and Casters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved caster of the class usinga spring between the bearing-point and the part entering or su pport-ing the leg of the article of furniture,

Heretofore it has been proposed to utilize a spring in connection with a caster, as in United States Patent No. 475,136; butin the construction shown the Whole strain of the bedstead or other article comes upon the spring in any lateral movement and the spring would soon give out or break.

In my improved form I use a ditli'erent form of spring and at the saine time provide a guide for the stem of the caster, and thus prevent torsional strain on the spring.

To this end my invention includes a baseplate with a guide-tube secured thereto, a spring also secured to the base-plate, and a caster and stem, the stem fitting the guidetube, While the caster bears upon the lower part of the spring.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved form of caster. Fig. 2 is a section of the saine.

A base-plate A, in the form of a disk of metal, serves to support the leg or other part of the article of furniture to which the caster is to be applied, this disk being provided with a central tube which ts within an opening` made in the leg of the article. The tube d extends on each side of the disk or plate A above and below the same and serves as a guide for the caster-stem b. This stem fits within the 4o tube a loosely, while a spring c is interposed between the plate A and the caster, so as to give a yielding support thereto. The spring c is tapering, having a large coil at the top secured to the plate A by clips, and the coils 45 taper to a small coil at the lower end, which bears against the fork d of the caster. The spring gives the .desired elasticity, Vwhile the guide for the stem gives rigidity laterally and prevents strain upon the spring in this direc- 5o tion. The fork d may inclose a glass ball e, as shown, or au ordinary roller may be used, if desired.

In combination, a flat base-plate, a'caster, 55

a stem extending therefrom, a conically-coiled spring having the uppermost coil bearing against the under side of said base-plate, clips secured near the edge of the base-plate engaging said coil, and a guide for said stem eXtend- 6o CHARLES C. ALDEN.

Witnesses:

C. I-I. WELCH, DAVID E. GoULD. 

